Vegan Before Dinnertime

By Tara Parker-Pope
INSERT DESCRIPTIONMark Bittman. (Suzy Allman for The New York Times)

Many people struggle to improve their eating habits. The Times food writer Mark Bittman, appearing this week on WNYC radio, told listeners about an unusual strategy that has worked for him.

All day long, he eats a vegan diet. But after about 6 p.m., anything goes.

In his newest book, “Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating With More Than 75 Recipes,” Mark explains how increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and reducing dependence on processed foods will lead to better health not only for your body, but also for the planet. He explained his “vegan before dinnertime” strategy recently on the Leonard Lopate show:

My arrangement with myself is that from the time I wake up until dinner I eat only fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. I don’t even eat white bread during the day. And then starting at dinner, I do. I have one meal a day when I do pretty much what I want, which is normally quite indulgent.

Mark made the changes after developing high cholesterol, borderline high blood sugar, bad knees and sleep apnea, and realizing he was about 35 pounds overweight. A doctor suggested he adopt a vegan diet, which means no animal products. But for a food writer, Mark said, becoming a full-time vegan was both unrealistic and undesirable. Instead, he came up with a compromise:

I decided to do this sort of “vegan till 6” plan. I didn’t have huge thoughts or plans about it. I just thought it was worth a try. Within three or four months, I lost 35 pounds, my blood sugar was normal, cholesterol levels were again normal … and my sleep apnea indeed went away. All these good things happened, and it wasn’t as if I was suffering so I stayed with it…. I have not eliminated anything completely from my diet. I haven’t had a Coke in a while, but I didn’t drink that much Coke to begin with.

Mark says he’s not trying to promote a particular diet, but does want people to realize that a simple evaluation of your diet can lead to meaningful changes.

I want to make things as simple as possible. This is consistent with everything I’ve ever done. I’m the guy who says, “Don’t sweat it.” I’m trying to once again say, “Let’s figure out how to do this cleanly and easily.” I would just encourage everyone to examine the portion in their own diet between processed foods and animal food and junk food on the one hand and plants on the other. To the extent the first group is much heavier than the second group, I say make some adaptations to change that.

To hear more from Mark, click here to listen to the complete 35-minute interview. And be sure to check out his popular food blog, Bitten.

Comments are no longer being accepted.

jack February 27, 2009 · 10:40 am

Certainly worth a try.

Jesse February 27, 2009 · 10:41 am

I just finished this book. I am a HUGE fan of Mark Bittman, but I’m a little disappointed in his book. It’s nothing that hasn’t already been written by Marion Nestle or Michael Pollan. Perhaps this would be a good beginners guide, but I expected something a little more in depth.

Wesley February 27, 2009 · 10:50 am

Groan…oh how I wish it could be so simple.

I’m happy for Mark, but none of these kinds of approaches (I eat mostly fruits and veg’s before dinner, anyway) ever made any difference for me.

And when I have tried these simple eating habit makeovers, in the past, I sometimes gained weight.

And that one “indulgent dinner.” Not a good plan for me. Been there and done that.

Matt February 27, 2009 · 11:12 am

The irony in all this is that he wouldn’t be so hungry and prone to overeating at dinner if he consumed some lean protein – say, a chicken breast – earlier in the day.

YAS February 27, 2009 · 11:12 am

As a vegan, it is very encouraging to see a well-known gourmand and food writer vow for the clear and undeniable benefits of a plant-based diet. Not so fringe-y anymore!

Aleksandr February 27, 2009 · 11:23 am

Working out should not be thrown by the way side. Also “Vegans” are all about not hurting anything that has a face, not just eating plants. Maybe calling the diet a “plant based one” till six doesn’t sound catchy, but if you look up Vegan in the dictionary, that means you don’t wear leather, don’t use animal products and so on. Not only because it healthy to eat vegetables but because it does not enslave animals.

I am not personally of this belief, I just know a few Vegans and have heard this many times. This sounds like a great idea, but how about for athletes? I dont have 3 hours a day to cook, and i work out almost every day. My girlfriend was vegan for 9 months, and even though she cooked the vegan meals I needed more energy, at least 5000 cal/day.

Any tips on healthy but high calorie diets?

peep February 27, 2009 · 11:26 am

You could combine the Bittman plan of being vegan until 6 pm with the Al Sharpton diet — don’t eat anything after 6pm.
//jeffreygoldberg.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/02/diet_tips_from_al_sharpton.php

Sue McCauley February 27, 2009 · 11:26 am

My brothers and I, who were raised on a dairy farm, became Vegans 2 years ago. My brother and his wife lost weight (16 lbs) initially but I didn’t. The most astounding result is that my brother, who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, saw his psa score drop from 7 to 4 during the first year as a vegan and a recent biopsy, a year after the original one, showed the cancer is gone. The China Study, which was our original inspiration to become Vegans, documents the lack of cancers in rural Chinese who eat only plant foods.

vegan February 27, 2009 · 11:27 am

Matt, of Reply #4: where does he say that he is “hungry and prone to overeating at dinner”? He just says that he’s “quite indulgent”, which is a totally different thing.

When I became a vegan I immediately noticed that I was never hungry the way I was when I ate more widely. I have tons of lean protein at lunch, usually in the form of beans or legumes, and I don’t overeat at dinner at all. No chickens involved.

jim February 27, 2009 · 11:28 am

I don’t understand what is so hard about eating in a healthy manner all of the time. Angelica’s kitchen has incredibly good vegan dishes. I eat cheese here and there, but it is really quite easy to eat well on a pretty vegan diet in NYC.

jim

Amanda Dora February 27, 2009 · 11:30 am

This seems like a great approach for Mark, and in general it seems clear that less animal products and less processed food is the way to go for health, but for those of us who are athletic, it’s so important to get protein into the body early in the day. Especially for exercising in the morning when you can have the most impact jump-starting your metabolism, I depend on eggs, kefir (sour yogurt), and occasionally meat. I actually try to eat the heavier stuff in my diet earlier in the day and lighten up on the evening meal.

Steve February 27, 2009 · 11:30 am

@Matt – Where does he say that he’s “hungry and prone to overeating at dinner?” It actually sounds to me as if he’s very satisfied. I have been vegetarian of various stripes, including vegan, for many years, and a well-thought-out veg diet will not you feeling hungry. Grains and legumes are actually very satisfying and will carry you through for a long time. Maybe 10 years ago I went back to eating meat for reasons too numerous and complicated to go into here, but in the last couple of years I’ve put on weight for the 1st time in my life. A couple of months ago I decided to go back to a diet much like Mark is advocating – mostly grains/beans/veg, but a few times a week I indulge in meat. I feel great!! I’ve taken off most of the weight, have more energy, have not had as much as a sniffle all winter, have recovered almost completely from a slipped disc, and much more. This is a common-sense approach to good health that also benefits the environment and your wallet.

Ted Christopher February 27, 2009 · 11:31 am

Mark Bittman is pushing in a good direction here. Having been vegan for many years the personal advantages are many. The only cravings I experienced in missing meat were indirect – it had become a salt-delivery vehicle for me and that was side-stepped via some evening pretzels.

A good general health write-up can be found at
drmcdougall.com/stars/peter_rogers_md.html

Finally, Bittman deserves praises galore for writing articles on the sustainability connection. Keep up the good work.

bigmix February 27, 2009 · 11:31 am

Matt, I don’t think he said anywhere in this article that he was or is over-eating at dinner. I think the point is more that he has changed _what_ he eats, not how much of it.

Go veg!

john February 27, 2009 · 11:33 am

If my doctor suggested that, I’d have a good laugh. Best of luck, Mr. Bittman!

Tiffany February 27, 2009 · 11:36 am

This is similar to a “raw until dinner” approach where you eat fruits and raw veggies (salads, etc) for breakfast and lunch and then eat a larger diet. I think it’s a great idea for people who want to improve their health/weight/life but cannot commit to an intense lifestyle change.

Jean Tsai February 27, 2009 · 11:37 am

Why make food a big deal? Why not consider healthy, whole foods (which Mark eats) an indulgence rather than a deprivation? Eat as much as you can, but just keep it whole and unprocessed. I generally like MIke’s philosophy, would just like a little attitude tweak. Look to y blog, MindfulEats.com for tips!

kate February 27, 2009 · 11:39 am

I’m a big fan of all things Bittman – have been for years, but this way of eating did not produce any weight loss for either myself or my husband. I won’t argue that it’s not a healthier way of eating (we did not do the anything goes at dinner), but the thing is we can not eat that many carbs, even complex carbs in one day. Mark, you must have some metabolism!

Ash February 27, 2009 · 11:41 am

I suspect Mark’s diet plan has been successful not so much due to what he doesn’t before 6 pm, but rather what he DOES eat during the day: fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes. These are foods that fill you up for relatively few calories, as long as the fat levels are relatively low, while the fiber can keep you feeling satisfied for a long time, leading to snacking between meals.

and, to Matt: don’t discount vegan sources of protein. They require a bit more thought, but you can get plenty of protein from the right grains and legumes. (Although I personally am an unrepentant carnivore. I just eat lots of brown rice and kale with my steak!)

johnny w. February 27, 2009 · 11:41 am

I have rarely heard of a dietary recommendation involving eating after 6 pm. Regardless, to each their own. My most exciting research has been reading “Eat to Live” by Dr. Joel Furhman. It is a very convincing argument to stay away from all meat, dairy, fats and processed foods.

hlg, nyc February 27, 2009 · 11:41 am

Not to worry, Matt (#4)! Mr. Bittman can get all the protein he wants during the day, in the form of tofu, nuts, soy milk, beans, oatmeal, etc. I don’t think that his “vegan before 6″ diet makes him insatiable at dinnertime; I suspect he’s probably well-fed (after all, he’s kept this up for some time now) and just eats what he wants at dinnertime because he truly enjoys it. There’s no indication here that he gorges himself at dinner after having starved himself all day.

It’s a misconception that vegans and vegetarians can’t get enough protein. I’ve been vegetarian for 13 years, I never go hungry, and I have energy to spare, trust me!

Andrea February 27, 2009 · 11:42 am

hm, not a bad idea. But I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be more beneficial to have your one non vegan meal be breakfast or lunch. Isn’t it counterproductive to eat heavy/rich foods late in the evening? Plus, if you have a big indulgant lunch,like wesley said, a simple salad for dinner would totally suffice. This is actually the Eropean way and we all know how much skinnier they are than us fat Americans :) I may try this though. Especially since a Chipotle is opening right next door to my office next week (gasp)

Andrea February 27, 2009 · 11:43 am

oops, it was Matt, not Wesley, who mentioned the overindulging. My mistake :)

Chiropractic student February 27, 2009 · 11:44 am

Lets not forget one of the most important factors of a healthy lifestyle: exercise. Just getting off your butt for 30 min a day can do as much as cutting out calorie-dense processed foods, and enhances the benefits of any dietary improvement.

Ariel February 27, 2009 · 11:46 am

Matt @4 – There are plenty of good, non-animal foods to eat that would keep you feeling full ’til dinner. Beans! Nuts! Vegetables sauteed in olive oil with whole-grain pasta!

I’ve been putting a whopping spoonful of peanut butter in my oatmeal every morning. Really sticks to your ribs, and keeps me from eating candy at work.

If vegan food meant only raw apples, carrot sticks, and cold salad (i.e. foods that make you hungrier), I would be a sad girl. It’s winter in the midwest, for pete’s sake.